Chapter 222 The So-called Tribulation
People were coming and going on the street. Chen Luo squatted in the market with three big fish in front of him. It had been half a year since he entered the Heart Demon Tribulation. During this half year, Chen Luo had thought of many ways. But he still could not find the whereabouts of Elder Rong Ling. This "heavenly tribulation" was more difficult than he expected. It was not solved by force.
He felt like he was almost becoming a real fisherman.
After selling the fish, Chen Luo put the copper coins he earned today into his waist bag, picked up the bag he used to put the fish on, and walked towards his home. After walking a few steps, Chen Luo saw an old man making dough figurines.
The exquisite little face figurine cost two cents each. For some reason, Chen Luo thought of the woman at home and the two-cent wooden hairpin. Although he knew that this was the world of the Heart Demon Tribulation and that all this was fake, he still couldn't help thinking about it and forgetting some things.
He, who was undergoing a "heavenly tribulation", was in such a state, not to mention Elder Rong Ling. It was estimated that the person who was undergoing the tribulation had even forgotten who he was.
Chen Luo stopped and walked to the front of the stall to buy a dough figurine from the old man. It was a dough figurine made in the image of a woman. The old man had great craftsmanship and the dough figurine was very delicate, with a lifelike expression, even the slightest smile at the corner of the mouth.
"Xiao Yun, look what I bought for you?"
Pushing open the door, Chen Luo also showed a smile on his face. After half a year of living together, it was difficult for him to regard this woman as an illusory derivative of the heavenly tribulation.
"Is the second brother back?"
A familiar voice came, but the difference was that there were two more people in the yard this time. His elder brother Zhang Dalin and his nephew Zhang Rongling. The moment he saw his 'nephew', Chen Luo finally found his target. He didn't expect that the Elder Rongling he had been looking for for half a year was actually his nephew.
He had heard women mention this nephew many times. The Zhang family hoped that he would concentrate on reading books of sages and never go out of the house on weekdays.
The current Elder Rong Ling did not look like the old demon who had completed the foundation building. He was wearing a green shirt, with his hair combed very neatly, and he looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. There was a hint of scholar's arrogance between his eyebrows.
"Rong Ling, come meet your second uncle."
The eldest brother Zhang Dalin also saw Chen Luo coming in, and immediately asked his son to stand up and salute. He came here to ask a favor, so he must behave properly.
"Meet Uncle."
Zhang Rongling bowed respectfully to Chen Luo.
Looking at the childish face of Zhang Rongling in front of him, Chen Luo found it hard to connect him with the shrewd Elder Rongling.
What is his obsession?
Chen Luo really wanted to see what Zhang Rongling’s obsession was, how his inner demon tribulation would work, and how it would allow him to survive.
"I came here for one thing."
Zhang Dalin looked at his brother and knew that he was not having a good life either, but he still had to speak up when it was time to do something. For the sake of his son's future, how much was his old face worth?
"The Autumn Examination is coming soon. Rong Ling was selected by the master of the academy last year. With his achievements, he wants to go to Dizhou to take the examination this year."
Chen Luo was listening nearby, but most of his attention was on Zhang Rongling. Unlike him, Elder Rongling, as a person who had survived the catastrophe, had all his memories blocked by the catastrophe. For him now, this was real life. His father was Zhang Dalin and his second uncle was Zhang Erlin, both of whom were fishermen from Beiyu County, and their family had been poor for generations.
Studying is not cheap these days. Each of the writing brushes, ink, paper, and books costs a lot of money. Zhang Dalin has been in debt for his studies for many years. In order to go to the capital to take the exam this time, Zhang Dalin sold the only cow in his family. The money he collected was only enough for simple management. The money for the journey and the expenses for the exam were not settled yet. The father and son discussed it for a long time at home, and finally had to ask Chen Luo for help again.
"I'm still short of ten taels of silver, so I want to borrow some from you first. When Rong Ling has made some progress in the future, I will repay you, my second uncle."
Zhang Dalin finished speaking and then looked at Chen Luo.
He really had no other choice.
As the eldest son, he used to live a much better life than his brother Zhang Erlin. But since Zhang Rongling went to school, the family's living standard has plummeted, and the family can't make ends meet. Zhang Rongling's mother was sick a few years ago and had no money to see a doctor. In the end, she died. The father and son are now completely supported by their breath. If they didn't have this breath, they would have collapsed long ago.
"Do you really want to take the scientific expedition?"
Chen Luo asked. As he talked with Zhang Rongling, he could clearly feel that the power of the heavenly tribulation in his body had become more active. As a 'heart demon', he drew a lot of strength from Zhang Rongling.
As long as Zhang Rongling fails to overcome the tribulation, all his cultivation will turn into flowing water, become part of the "heavenly tribulation", and be absorbed by the inner demon.
"Please help me, uncle. Rong Ling will never forget your kindness in the future."
"good!"
Chen Luo nodded in agreement. The woman next to him looked gloomy when she heard this, but she still forced a smile and went back to the room to take out the family's savings. A total of eight taels and two cents, this was the silver that the couple had saved over the years.
Although it was still a little short of the ten taels of silver that Zhang Dalin had mentioned, it was barely enough.
After borrowing the money, the Zhang family father and son quickly went back to prepare the things they needed for the exam. Chen Luo stood at the door, looking at the direction where Zhang Rongling disappeared, and vaguely saw the calamity energy that was constantly dissipating between heaven and earth. He finally found the direction to cross the calamity.
He needs to think carefully about whether to help others escape disaster or lead them into disaster.
The Heart Demon Technique also needs to be studied carefully. The mystery of this technique is beyond expectations. No wonder it was favored by the Mummy Brain.
"Second brother."
"It's okay. I'll take care of everything."
Looking back at the woman behind him, Chen Luo replied with a smile.
Three months passed in a flash.
The process seemed to be accelerated. Chen Luo seemed to have forgotten the purpose of coming here. He repeated the same life every day, fishing and selling fish. Until one day, Zhang Rongling, dressed in a blue shirt, came to the Zhang family. Zhang Rongling at this moment was very different from a few months ago. He passed the provincial examination again and was now a juren, a member of the gentry class.
"Uncle, I am going to Beijing to prepare for the imperial examination in a few years. The environment in Beijing is not as good as in the countryside. Some things can only be done by my family with peace of mind. I hope Uncle can help me."
Zhang Rongling said sincerely.
His father was old and had a serious illness a few days ago. He was no longer able to travel far. Zhang Rongling looked around and found that his only trustworthy relative was his "Second Uncle".
He went to the door the same way as before, and in response to his request, 'Second Uncle' still only asked one question.
"Do you really want me to go to Beijing with you?"
"Please ask my second uncle to help me."
Zhang Rongling nodded again in affirmation.
"good."
Chen Luo looked at the aura gushing out from Zhang Rongling, and his understanding of the power of the Heart Demon Tribulation became clearer and clearer. He could feel that the Heart Demon Art he practiced had become stronger. It was no longer just a theory like before, and he used the inherent formula to perform it.
This year, the uncle and nephew went to Beijing.
The woman stayed in the countryside and took them to the outskirts of the city.
Half a year later.
With the help of his uncle Chen Luo, Zhang Rongling quickly gained a foothold in the capital and prepared for the exam wholeheartedly. At this time, Chen Luo followed him like a shadow, observing everything he did.
The woman also came to the capital in the past six months. She was as frugal as before and was reluctant to spend money on food and drink. Compared with the capital, the woman was like a country girl who didn't fit in. She was not used to the life here, but for her husband, she still came.
Chen Luo saw Zhang Rongling's calamity.
'Wealth and splendor.'
He didn't expect that this great cultivator who had completed the foundation building actually wanted this. As an immortal cultivator, Zhang Rongling's "wealth and honor" must be different from ordinary people. What he needs is the same status, resources and power as the Black Stone Ancestor. Driven by this desire and ambition, he took that step. In the inner demon calamity, this "calamity" became a disillusionment with wealth and honor. If Zhang Rongling could finally see through wealth and honor and let go of the empty fame and fortune, he could break the calamity and become a Jindan cultivator. If he failed to pass the calamity, he would sink into the inner demon calamity, be burned into black ash by the heavenly calamity, and disappear from life and death!
Every time Chen Luo saw the aura gathering in the sky, it was surging from Zhang Rongling's body, which meant that Zhang Rong was sinking deeper into the calamity of his inner demon.
Outside, he was losing even more strength.
A few years later, Zhang Rongling was twenty-six years old!
This year he successfully passed the imperial examination and was noticed by important figures and retained in the capital.
Although he was only a minor official in the capital, his achievements had surpassed most people and he officially became an important figure in the village. The Zhang family ancestral temple was also repaired, and some collateral relatives gathered around him to form a huge "Zhang family".
Chen Luo still stayed by Zhang Rongling's side. This second uncle seemed to have become a housekeeper, the person Zhang Rongling trusted the most.
The 26-year-old Zhang Rongling grew a beard, wore a blue official uniform, had neatly combed black hair, and had bright eyes. He had a temperament that ordinary people didn't have, which attracted the attention of many ladies, and many officials in Beijing began to extend olive branches to him. Zhang Rongling didn't even look at these people's overtures, because he had a childhood sweetheart.
He swore that he would marry that woman when he became successful.
night.
Zhang Mansion.
Zhang Rongling sat at the table. Rarely did he look at the amulet that the woman had given him, but instead held an invitation in his hand. His hands kept shaking as if he had encountered some major decision.
"Rong Ling, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Chen Luo looked much older. He had read a lot of books with Zhang Rongling over the years, and he no longer looked like a fishmonger. He looked like a master from a wealthy family. As for Zhang Rongling's father, he had passed away two years ago. Now Chen Luo was Zhang Rongling's only relative in the world.
From this moment on, the power of the inner demon calamity was truly revealed.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
